Pok¿mon Diamond and Pearl AU Review

Nintendo gives fans another valid reason to give into sweet Pok¿-addiction one more time.

Formula. Actually, formula and repetition. Those are two traditionally negative elements of game design that usually relegate games to instant B-grade status or - worse, even - to the bargain bin. Yet, somehow Nintendo is a company that manages to build success through innovating, formulating and repeatedly milking that original innovation. We've seen it with Mario, Zelda, Metroid and critically, Pokémon. And we all love Nintendo for it.Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, the latest main-series release for the Pokémon brand, is a resounding success and is already selling ridiculously well in the Japanese and US markets. But enough counting of the greenbacks; we know you just want to know how good the game is - so let's push on.If you've never played a Pokémon game before, now is as good a time as any to get stuck into the series. The basic idea is about battling wild Pokémon, capturing them, training them and then repeating those steps until you've collected them all, as the tag line roughly goes. In all, there are 493 Pokémon potentially in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.We say potentially because the kicker is that not all Pokémon are available in both versions - you must trade across to get the unique breeds. Also, if you're after all 493 Pokémon, you'll need to slot in GBA versions of Fire Red, Emerald Green, Ruby and Sapphire in order to import them across - with a limit of six transferred beasts for every 24 hours of real-time. When you work it out, it's going to take you months and months to bring across even 150 or so of your original Pokémon - but if you're a purist, then this is probably a sound investment of time.The other catch? You must recapture any Pokémon you've brought across in special hunting grounds. We don't necessarily agree with this approach - we'd definitely prefer to bring our hard-earned and highly trained Zapdoses and Mewtwos across intact. Of course, there's no denying that this decision extends the replayability of Diamond and Pearl significantly. You also can't transfer any Pokémon who have been taught HMs, because that could potentially break the game's design. Which sounds funny, but is probably a nightmare for programmers.So what else has changed? First of all, your travels place you in the geographically varied Sinnoh region. Fundamentally, you'll be traversing the same kinds of environments you've seen in the past - towns, forests, marshes, caves, waterways, mountainsides - capturing as you go, doing battle with gym leaders, and pursuing your 'rival' whom you get to name at the start of the game.

The battle sequences are nearly identical, but the menus are vastly improved.

Again, this is all formulaic Pokémon stuff, and by and large you won't be surprised by a lot of what goes on, but it's still compelling enough to keep you playing and earning badges.How are the new Pokémon, I hear you ask? Well, after 493 of those freaky suckers, we're impressed there's anything left to be invented. However, Game Freak has managed to pile on 100 new critters. Some, like Mime Jr., are pre-evolution versions of their more mature counterparts (like Mr. Mime). Others are fully evolved or entirely new. You can initially choose one of three different starting Pokémon: Chimchar (fire), Turtwig (grass) and Piplup (water). In essence, initially the game plays out like a complex version of rock-paper-scissors, where some elements are strong against others and vice-versa. The battle menus have now been moved to the lower touch screen, which works well. You can still use the D-pad to make your selections, as you can for most actions in the game. Apart from that, the core gameplay has changed very little. The division of attack-types is slightly altered, but calling out Pokémon, tag-teaming battles and using items is all identical.One of the more intriguing inclusions in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl is the 'Pok¿tch'. The odd name is apparently derived from 'Pokémon' and 'wristwatch'. Basically, it's a PDA that can be injected with fresh functions by visiting the Pok¿tch company. This is a very handy evolution of the Pok¿gear and Pok¿Nav from past games, initially combining a calendar, calculator and a pedometer, but expandable by up to 25 total functions.While most of the functions are mainly novelties, you'll occasionally come across times when a particular function is required in order to solve puzzles in the game. That's pretty cool integration. The other side of the Pok¿tch is the basic watch function - which is to say, knowing the time in Sinnoh is pretty important. Like Pokémon Gold and Silver on the Game Boy Color, Diamond and Pearl bring back the day/night cycle and keep track of the days of the week. This is by far the most interesting twist on the gameplay since, as was the case in Gold and Silver, the time and day dictates where you can find Pokémon, particular non-player characters and some events. Even if this is a slightly improved version of an old feature, the absence of time and date in Emerald Green, Fire Red, Ruby and Sapphire were noticeable. It's a welcome return. Also returning are several other features - with slight tweaks. Berries are no longer the only food available to your Pokémon. While you can still harvest and grow stat-improving berries from bushes around the Sinnoh region, you can also sit around a big mixing bowl with three other mates (connected to your DS via wireless access) and mix up a batch of 'Poffins' - essentially Pokémon candy, specifically designed for Super Contests.And what of these Super Contests? Well, take the original premise - a fashion and skills show for Pokémon and their trainers - and add a few new stages and levels of complexity to the micro-games. We never really got hooked on the original contests back in Sapphire and Diamond, but if you're a fan, then this adds another level of depth.